Bears Blitz

Published by Midwest Sports Fans on September 25, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Bears travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks this weekend in what should be a pretty good football showdown in the rainiest city in the USA.

Here is your quick-hit viewer’s guide and Jerod’s pick from this week’s NFL TV schedule and point spread post.

Chicago Bears (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

* Bears-Seahawks Date: Sunday, Sept. 27

* Bears-Seahawks Time: 4:05 ET

* Bears-Seahawks TV Network: FOX

* Bears-Seahawks Announcers: Dick Stockton and Charles Davis

* Bears-Seahawks Point Spread: Bears -2.5

* Bears-Seahawks Over-Under: 37

* Bears-Seahawks Pick by Jerod: Poor Matt Hasselbeck. He just can’t seem to stay healthy anymore. If he were healthy and playing, I think they’d be a good bet to win and certainly to cover 2.5 points.

However, I think last week’s win was a big confidence builder for Jay Cutler and the Bears, and after seeing what Frank Gore did to Seattle last week, Matt Forte will no doubt be ready for his 2009 breakout game. I think he gets it, and I think the Bears win by a TD.

Bears-Seahawks free spread pick: Bears -2.5 (for the record, I’m already rethinking this one…Seattle is tough to beat at home. But the absence of Hasselbeck seals it. Bears, minus the points, final answer.) 

Bears-Seahawks Analysis

The Bears are coming off a spectacular and uplifting win against the defending Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The No. 1 question for the Bears right now is when will Matt Forte put up some decent numbers? So far Forte has been shut down and is only averaging 2.2 yards per carry. There still isn’t any need to worry though because the two teams he played have very good run defenses.

The Seahawks are ranked 26th in the league in run defense. Forte is set up to run over 100 yards this Sunday.

A good running game means less pressure on the QB, which will be greatly needed because Jay Cutler has his work cut out for him. The Seahawks’ pass defense is ranked second in the league. Passing against this defense will be tough, but Forte can help significantly if he can find the holes the O-line sets up.

Bears fans liked seeing Cutler bounce back in Week Two after a horrid Week One, but will this just be another Good Cutler, Bad Cutler deal, just like what happened with Rex Grossman? Chicago fans sure hope not.

The new player to look for is rookie WR Johnny Knox. He has created a stir around the NFL for showing great speed and catching ability. The Bears could have found a sleeper in this kid. Keep an eye out for him.

The Seahawks might have lost Matt Hasselbeck again due to a rib injury. If Hasselbeck doesn’t play, Seneca Wallace will start for Seattle. Wallace started some games last year and isn’t that bad of a QB, but losing Hasselbeck is a huge loss for a team that heavily relies on its QB. Seattle might have to find a way to win without Hasselbeck, a task that might prove fatal.

The Seahawks’ best bet is their running game. While it’s not great, it has been consistent, averaging 116.5 yards per game. If the running game doesn’t get going, it puts more pressure on the passing game, a section that already is weakened.

Bears-Seahawks prediction: The loss of Hasselbeck is just too much for the Seahawks to recover from. Bears win 21-14.

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